My Summer Romance with the Urban Decay Summer of Love Shadow Palette

I wish I could be a butterfly on the wall at Urban Decay HQ and watch the creative peeps plan the brand’s summer lineup. Do they huddle around a big table smoking blunts and eating brownies, hotboxing in a board room until someone proclaims, “Whoa! Like, Eureka!”

You know what I mean, right? 🙂 And they must know, too. Those cheeky references to herbal refreshment — nope, I’m not talking about Celestial Seasonings — aren’t foolin’ anyone.

Your honor, let the record show that this year’s Summer of Love Shadow Palette ($29) is a little less obvious in its references than last year’s incredible Get Baked (LOVE!) was, but it still has that same vibe.

The palette’s been available online and at Sephora since March, but I only just recently took the time to explore its many charms.

To my surprise, the six-piece set doesn’t give me the munchies, but it does make me crave glittery eye looks and pretty pops of color:

It should be said that all of the shades in Summer of Love are also part of the Urban Decay permanent line, but if you consider the palette from a price perspective and don’t already own the same shades, it represents a great deal. The eyeshadows alone would cost $68 if purchased individually (that’s a lot of tacos, yo!), so it makes $29 look like a steal.

Really, I appreciate how concise Urban Decay made this palette. On the one hand, I like UD’s big blockbuster palettes like Alice and Book of Shadows are, but their size can also make them overwhelming.

Summer of Love, however, with its four shades, lends itself to quick decisions, yet it still contains enough colors to produce a variety of looks. That, and the package’s slim silhouette means it fits as snug as a bug in a rug inside my favorite travel makeup bag.

If you liked last year’s Get Baked, Summer of Love might be right up your alley.

It isn’t as gold, though, and its colorful purple shadow, Flash, applies much sheerer than last year’s teal Flipside. Glitter also plays a bigger part this time around, with Mauie Wowie and Chopper having big, blingy silver flecks.

Apart from some minimal glitter fallout from Maui Wowie and Chopper, Summer of Love is tops in my book. Glitter girls who love Urban Decay might want to check it out. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

You might like the Urban Decay Summer of Love Shadow Palette if…

You don’t already own the same shades

You like glittery eye looks

You want a palette you can bring with you everywhere

You can’t resist a bargain!

And the card attached would say…

You may have already heard that last night Golden Girl Rue McClanahan passed away. 🙁

I’ve loved the Golden Girls since I was a little kid (weird, maybe, but it’s true). Her character, Blanche Devereaux, was epically sexy, funny, outrageous and still so loveable — kinda like the OG Samantha Jones.

A few of my favorite quotes from Blanche…

“I’m as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo.”

“We’re collecting lingerie for needy, sexy people.”

“Oh, no, I never wear underwear.”

“He is so sophisticated and charming and rich and handsome. He fairly screams Blanche. At least he will when I’m through with him!”

RIP, Rue. Thank you for being a friend.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

My Summer Romance with the Urban Decay Summer of Love Shadow Palette / Originally published June 3rd, 2010

My favorite Blanche quote is, “I treat my body like a temple” and Sophia responds, “Yeah, open to everyone, day or night.” I mainly remember watching the reruns since the show ended when I was THREE. I was a wee little lass. The episodes get funnier the older you get and the more you see them, personally.

oh Blanche, how I will miss her, and the comparison with Samantha is spot on. but blanche was sassier and not so obviously dirty, so i like her better….RIP
.-= Rachel’s last blog post… SUMMER ESSENTIALS =-.

Own the palette, and love it! Not the biggest glitter fan, but the colors are still lovely. It was a good deal since this was my first dip into the world of Urban Decay makeup, I had none of the eyeshadows. 🙂 Also, I bought a pack of their 24/7 liners… Love!

Go with God Blanche Deveraux. Golden Girls was my mom’s fave show and I always watched it with her even if I hardly understood what was going on most of the time!

I have the Get Baked from last year and I hardly show it any love. I find the shadows a bit too glittery for work but ive used them once to go out at night and they were awesome. Im still on the fence about this … but I can always use a UD 24×7 in Bourbon. Love that eyeliner!

I would totally get this, except I have most of the colors! 🙁 Boooo, but I want to try Sin.

As for Blanche, that made me sooo sad :(. I love the Golden Girls. I remember watching it with my grandmother and her trying to cough through all of the dirty parts, until I told her that I already knew =P

I love the Get Baked palette better than the Summer of Love. i like Maui Wowee but the glitter fallout is super chunky. I still wear Half Baked (my favorite dark gold shadow). I wanted to buy Flash as a single but picked up the sephora exclusive, Psychedelic Sister instead – LOVE. I need to go back for Haight and Free Love. Have you tried them yet? I’m very pleased with UD/Sephora for this – it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that.

Awww…I heard about Rue. Loved the GG’s – I would cut family dinner’s short when I was a kid b/c I had to go watch 🙂 And LOVE all the attention Betty White has been getting lately. That Doritos commerical during the Super Bowl cracked me up, and did you see her on SNL?